Celebrating the 70's - A chronicle of time and temperature

  Tuesday 25 June 2024 An early start this morning as we head to Paris on the TGV. A great, fast and clean train with comfy seats and 313 kmh at one stage and 296 kmh most places. We arrive at Gare Montparnasse and find the Metro connection, buy two tickets from the machine for the trip to our home exchange apartment in the flash 16Arr, enter the corridor to the platform using said tickets and are nearly at the platform, when we encounter a three inspector road block with little ticket readers hanging off their shoulders, demanding to see said tickets.  Flashy's is fine; Lady P's comes up as invalid. ‘Hardly, she says, it let me through the gates and I bought both tickets together from the same machine. Here's the receipt.’ ‘Madam, your ticket is invalid, fifty Euro fine. Now, on the spot.’ Well, you can imagine what was about to happen. The only English speaker, probably the boss, was getting a bit flustered to say the least. In order to avoid arrest and imprisonment or ...

  Sunday and Monday 23/24June 2024 Sunday gave us clear skies and warm weather, so a quick trip to the Intermarche and back to mow the lawns and weed the roses, before a BBQ of steak on the apple wood fire. A quick rush to close the doors to prevent the vast quantity of smoke setting off the new smoke alarm was required. Lady P planted parsley, mint, oregano and thyme a few weeks ago. Flashy reckons she planted on top of the septic as it has grown prolifically. So, the third lot of mint and parsley was picked and a fresh tabouli made to accompany the medium rare steak. The €4,99 Bordeaux was OK to at least one of the party. Monday 24 th Busy day of planning and packing for Paris tomorrow. Drop off the lawn mower for repairs, clean up, vacuum and mop and start locking up the place is in order, as we have an early start tomorrow to drive to Surgeres, find a park for the car and catch the 6.45 am train to Paris. Lawns mowed. Steaks cooked. Bordeaux cheapie.

  Thursday to Saturday 20 June 2024 One of those days when you do nothing. Read a bit, relax and plan dinner. Friday 21 June 2024 Another at home day cleaning the pool. Pizza for dinner. The passata is reducing; the base already made. Saturday 22 June 2024 More of the same, really. However, a good visit to Saint Savinien this morning. A Ville et Métiers d'Art , a short drive away on the Charante River. Ville et Métiers d'Art is a special label given to certain cities and towns which emphasize excellence and authenticity in art .  Today, painters from the village and surrounds, set themselves up on the riverbank and began painting. All the paintings will be taken to the Mairie (town hall) today and displayed. The public then gets to vote for the best in the exhibition. So French. Half way home, we stopped at Bignay, another little village with a small square featuring a nice little bar, where we had a wine. Home to a cheese and pate lunch and a glass of rose. Sa...

  Wednesday 19 June 2024 We had a massive thunder storm last night which went on for ages and dumped more rain on the village. The swimming pool needed some water pumped out and another vacuum and more cleaning duties this morning. Lady P has a hair appointment at 3 pm today, so she drops Flashy off at the Intermarche complex where he plans to wander about the hardware, supermarket, clothes shop and the like; have a beer or three and maybe a late lunch, before walking into the town centre at 5 pm to meet a newly cut and coloured woman for an aperitif or two. There is a MacDonald’s at the Internarche. Yes, in France! Mackas is the same in Saint Jean d Angely as anywhere else but one has to make sure. In the spirit of research, Flashy decides to sample some of the menu and had just finished the bacon burger and Coke Zero, when his phone rings with Lady P demanding to know where he is. She only dropped him off 10 minutes ago. Anyway, noting a hint of concern in her voice, Flas...

  Sunday 16 June to Tuesday 18 June 2024 Rain is predicted all week. It was accurate. So, a lot of admin catching up and then some gardening when the rain eased. This involved removing vast quantities of blackberry like, thorny creeper, from the hedge of honeysuckle and ivy. Then a wonderful discovery. E.Leclerc store. A full blown supermarket with K Mart like end of clothes, shoes, electrical, hardware etc. Could have spent hours there but was not allowed of course. Will return, as McArthur said! Starting the pruning Finished job.

  Saturday 15 June 2024 As regular as clockwork, we head off on our Saturday outing to Saint Jean D’Angely market. This is always preceded by a coffee in a café for Lady P. Flashy is already wired, thanks to his morning brew at home. By now, we know the stalls and even the flirty girls at the stalls, so it’s an easy shop for fruit and veges and the bread from the boulangère pop up with the long line of customers.  We also buy the world’s most expensive cooked chook, which cleans us out of pockets full of coins. There’s some upside, I guess. We also get fresh fish from the grinning lads at the fishmonger, along with a kilo of mussels.  These morph into a mussels marinara with a baguette traditionale for lunch (not marinier, but an Italian tomato based sauce - marinara). Flashy also makes some sweet pastry and uses the peaches soaked in sweet Pineau for a peach tart to have with a coffee after some bramble removal in the front hedge this afternoon. Mussels for lunch tar...

  Friday 14 June 2024 Day 169 in Europe today and 221 days since we left Cairns. Much of our winter wardrobe, which was purchased in various places along the way, needs throwing out, as Flashy’s smalls and shirts, even the trousers are pretty worn. The down jackets and good woolen clothes are still OK and will do the winter at the end of this year. We have managed to buy some nice summer clothes and just need summer to really set in, as it is hot and sunny one day and overcast and cool the next.  We had the last of the rabbit casserole last night and are finishing the terrene and cheese for lunch. A spicy, three bean mix tonight and to the market tomorrow. Today, I have thought about the environment of where we are. Clearly, we are in the country, surrounded by fields of barley and silage and many windmills. Giant tractors growl by our windows during the day and there are many birds visiting us for the cherries on the tree.  They fight with Lady P, who could be a bird...

  Tuesday to Thursday 11 to 13 June 2024 Jenny and Alyssa were due on Tuesday at lunch time and eventually arrived around 7.45 pm due to a flat tyre on their hire car in Bordeaux. Nonetheless, we had Champagne and salmon rilletttes on their arrival, then sat down to the dinner. This was an entrée of blanched white and green asparagus with a boiled egg vinaigrette, accompanied by a Bordeaux Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. The main was Lapin du Vin, with puy lentil and a green salad. A number of Languedoc and Bordeaux reds were consumed. After a pause, we had Crepe Suzette with Grand Marnier and vanilla ice cream. Wednesday for some, was spent lying around the pool. Flashy had produced his magic and it was sparkling clean. Only the southerners swam. It was barely 20C in the pool, but clear blue skies and warm sunshine on the terrace. Of course, this produced platters of jamon, cheeses and pickles with a fresh baguette and some rose and red wines for lunch. Dinner was a cheese, spec and...

  Saturday 8 June 2024 As we are expecting Jenny and Alyssa next week, we went into Saint Jean d’ Angeley market for some of the fresh fruit and vegetable supplies. In the town we also discovered two otherwise hidden squares which were buzzing with people and had all sorts of shops and restaurants along the streets. It has the same population as Surgeres (<8,000). A great shop of artisanal cheeses and salami, fruit and veg, including white and green asparagus and some local wines, then home for some lunch, a nap and more planning for a little excursion to Paris at the end of June and the birthday bash for Joanne in Saumur-Liore Valley, at the end of July. Sunday 9 June 2024 The Lapin au Vin is in the slow cooker for 10 hours, with a whole bottle of Chardonnay and the usual suspects. Once the rabbit is cooked, the liquid will be reduced and enriched with mushrooms and cream and let sit with the boned rabbit for another two hours. This will happen Tuesday. I think we will ...

  Friday 7 June 2024 Another at home day. Lady P mowed the lawns. Flashy put his feet up. Killed lots of flies and did nothing much else. Pizza for dinner from left over ingredients, but very delicious. Picking cherries from the tree Flashy supervising the lawn mowing. Tas and I met this guy, I'm sure on our trip. Not the PM. Well the PM for now!

  Wednesday 5 June 2024 Phase 3 of the concreting is completed. Another two bags to go, probably do this on Friday. A   big day of washing, airing of suits etc as the sun is shining (all day too). Lady P stokes up the BBQ and cooks the fillet of beef, which we enjoy on the terrace. Darkness here is 10.30 pm, so it is often still light when we go to bed. And there are no streetlights in the village, consequently, it’s as black as a coal bin all night. Still, another slow day today, with cleaning, washing and attending to the pool.   It is clearing nicely but a bit low still on chlorine. Thursday 6 June 2024 We went to Surgeres today. A pleasant drive just north of us 18 kms – about 20 mins and a largish (7,000) town with a market and the major train connection to Paris. Some shopping done and home to a ham and cheese baguette.  Now, there was this little patisserie, with a line up out the door and down the street, with tradies buying filled baguettes and little ...

  Tuesday 4 June 2024 All good here in LPR. Flashy killed (swatted) 82 flies last night and 22 this morning. Where do they come from? There are no sheep or cattle hereabouts. Maybe a field of dead bodies? Nonetheless, we head for the hardware store and get a ginormous fly trap. Let’s see what we can do in the next couple of days, eh? Left over ratatouille and rice for dinner. Actually, very nice. We are eating the freezer out in anticipation of Jenny and Alyssa’s visit at the end of the week. That's the big boy.20,000 flies they say.

  Sunday 2 June 2024 A slow moving day today. Don’t know what’s happening with the weather, but it is overcast and 15c. After a lazy breakfast and lots of video calls to family and friends, we decide to light the fire. This was a good choice, because it has remained overcast and cool all day. Flashy busied himself with charging the battery in the hybrid Peugeot. I don’t know why, as it only gives 60kms from a 9.5 hour charge! A bit more random poisoning of weeds with Roundup and swatting 39 flies in the house and depandance. Yes, I count them. At least there are fly swats in most rooms. Flashy is keen to buy some fly traps, as he has great success with these in Cairns. Stand by for more details. Monday 3 June 2024 Today is “P” Day. The pool man comes and recommissions the pool from its winter sleep into sparkling summer water. Well, at least that’s the theory. This is of course, very similar to what Fred used to do to our pools, so Flashy feels quietly confidant that he can e...

  Thursday, Friday and Saturday 30, 31 May and 1 June 2004 Collioure to Beziers was a doodle of a drive, arriving in Beziers just after Jacqui and Russell at a three story home exchange, obviously owned by wealthy, wine loving, Sweeds, at noon. We had purchased some excellent faux fillet du boef and some sausages, which we BBQ’s on the roof top terrace, with a nice Bordeaux Superior for dinner. This was preceded by a charcuterie platter for lunch. Friday, we breakfasted on croissants and baguettes from the local boulangerie, before a little drive to a village market, where Lady P purchased a dress and the rest of us bought fruit and veges. Home to another platter of French cheese, cured meats, smoked mackerel and rose wine in the sunshine on the rooftop for lunch.  Our Uber for dinner arrives and not surprising he was middle eastern. Our whole neighbourhood is full of women in hijab and blokes in dish dash. Hard to believe you are in France! The dinner restaurant was Pet...